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FACT BRIEF

Did Dr. Anthony Fauci do experiments to magnify terror in monkeys?

By Ali Swenson
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NO

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the nation’s top infectious disease expert and the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was not involved in this research.

A 2019 study that altered the brains of monkeys and then monitored their reactions to threats was conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health, a subdivision of National Institutes of Health that is separate from Fauci’s division.

“Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is not involved and has never been involved in this study,” NIMH’s press team said in an emailed statement. “Additionally, the study was not funded by NIAID.”

The study authors said their "findings provide insights into the neural regulation of defensive responses to threat and inform the etiology and treatment of anxiety disorders in humans.”  

See a full discussion of this at The Associated Press
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Journal of Neuroscience Heightened Defensive Responses Following Subtotal Lesions of Macaque Orbitofrontal Cortex
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The Associated Press
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.